Avista (NYSE:AVA) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• Avista issued FY 2026 EPS guidance of $2.52–$2.72, with the $2.62 midpoint modestly above the $2.60 analyst consensus.
• Second-quarter EPS of $0.43 beat estimates of $0.23, but revenue of $413 million fell short of the $426.9 million consensus; lower wholesale activity, reduced volumes and the loss of a large industrial customer weighed on revenue.
• Analysts maintain a largely neutral view, with one Buy and six Hold ratings and a $40 consensus price target. Avista’s quarterly dividend implies a roughly 5.0% yield, while wildfire damage to its Spokane-area grid creates potential repair, liability and cost-recovery risks.

Avista (NYSE:AVA - Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Monday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 2.520-2.720 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.600. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AVA has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Avista from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 18th. Barclays upped their price target on Avista from $39.00 to $40.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Avista from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Avista from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $39.00 target price on Avista in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $40.00.

Avista Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AVA traded down $0.83 during trading on Monday, reaching $39.62. The company had a trading volume of 1,651,841 shares, compared to its average volume of 674,301. The company has a fifty day moving average of $41.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $40.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.25. Avista has a 12 month low of $35.50 and a 12 month high of $43.50.

Avista (NYSE:AVA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The utilities provider reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.23 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $413.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $426.93 million. Avista had a return on equity of 7.65% and a net margin of 10.75%.The company's revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.17 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Avista will post 2.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Avista Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 19th were issued a dividend of $0.4925 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 19th. This represents a $1.97 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.0%. Avista's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 78.49%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Wayne O. Manuel sold 1,593 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.98, for a total transaction of $65,281.14. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 10,521 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $431,150.58. This trade represents a 13.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.78% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Avista News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Avista this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Avista reported second-quarter GAAP net income of $35 million, or $0.43 per diluted share, up from $14 million and $0.17 a year earlier. Earnings exceeded the $0.23 analyst consensus, while first-half net income rose to $127 million from $93 million. Avista Q2 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed 2026 non-GAAP utility earnings guidance of $2.52 to $2.72 per share. The midpoint is modestly above the $2.60 consensus estimate, and management cited disciplined cost control, rate-case benefits and operational execution. Avista Reports Second Quarter Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Underlying utility earnings per share were unchanged at $0.29 for the quarter, although first-half utility earnings increased to $1.38 from $1.30. Reported GAAP gains were helped substantially by a recovery in non-regulated investment performance, which may be volatile and is excluded from utility earnings.
• Neutral Sentiment: Avista expects $615 million of 2026 utility capital expenditures and may issue up to $90 million of common stock and $230 million of long-term debt. It is also evaluating as much as $100 million of additional short-term liquidity because of regulatory deferrals and delayed cost recovery.
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly revenue of $413 million fell short of the $426.9 million consensus estimate. Year-to-date electric and natural-gas revenues declined, reflecting lower wholesale activity, reduced volumes and the departure of a large industrial customer; operating expenses also increased.
• Negative Sentiment: Wildfires in the Spokane, Washington, area reportedly caused extensive damage to Avista’s power grid and service disruptions. Potential repair costs, outages, liability exposure and uncertainty over insurance or regulatory recovery add a significant near-term overhang. Avista Reports Extensive Wildfire Damage

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Avista

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Avista by 105.1% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,137,236 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $43,829,000 after purchasing an additional 582,742 shares during the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd lifted its holdings in Avista by 1,723.9% in the 3rd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 442,427 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $16,728,000 after buying an additional 418,170 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Avista by 8.3% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,191,896 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $197,032,000 after buying an additional 398,446 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Avista during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $13,533,000. Finally, Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in shares of Avista by 216.5% during the third quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 477,238 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $18,044,000 after buying an additional 326,469 shares during the period. 85.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Avista

Avista Corporation operates as an integrated energy company providing electric and natural gas delivery services to residential, commercial and industrial customers in the Pacific Northwest. Through its regulated utility operations, the company maintains and upgrades an extensive transmission and distribution network, delivering reliable energy to approximately 400,000 electric customers and 324,000 natural gas customers across Washington, Oregon and Idaho. In addition to its core utility business, Avista invests in owned generation assets, including hydroelectric, natural gas–fired, coal and wind facilities, to support system reliability and long-term supply planning.

Founded in 1889 as the Spokane and Inland Empire Water Power Company, the business adopted the Avista name in 1999 to reflect its growing energy portfolio and strategic focus on innovation.

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